Thursday (Timeless Series #4) (15 page)

She pulled her top off and unclasped her bra without breaking her stride.

I’d always seen her naked, but the action caused me to stop breathing. I stared at her back, seeing the definition of the muscle there. Her spine was noticeable, and the muscle around it popped. She was petite but built with muscle so she obviously hit the weights a few times a week. I stared at the individual grooves of her body, loving the way she looked. I wanted to sprinkle kisses everywhere.

Marie pulled on the new top and covered her flawless skin, hiding the steep arch in her back.

I stopped the protest before it escaped my lips.

She removed her jeans and kicked them to the side. Her shirt was long enough to cover her ass and panties. When she turned around she examined my chest, noting its hardness. I tried to hit the gym as often as I could and I was glad she appreciated it.

Now that I was alone with her I didn’t have to worry about Francesca catching us. I could just be with her—do anything I wanted. I guided her to the bed then moved on top of her. Even though we already had a passionate night together it didn’t really count. It was meaningless and aggressive, and I didn’t feel the way I did now.

I stared at her lips and watched them slightly part in excitement. Her thighs were pressed tightly together and she writhed for me. I’d already had her once and I wanted her again, but now I wanted something else.

Something more.

I separated her knees with my hips and moved directly over her, my hard-on in my boxers directly next to her panties. Using my arms as anchors I positioned myself over her and looked her in the eye. Then I leaned in and did the thing I’d wanted to do all day.

I kissed her.

My kiss was soft and slow, just the way it should be. I had nowhere to go and nothing better to do, so I treasured every second of it. There was no rush, no need to get to the physical stuff. Kissing her, feeling her like this, was all I wanted.

Her lips moved with mine, dancing together like they could communicate. When her warm breath filled my lungs, the air on the back of my neck stood on end. Kissing was something I hardly did, and when it happened it didn’t last long. I preferred the dirtier things. But with Marie, this was all I wanted to do.

Her arms wrapped around my neck and she kissed me harder, her passion guiding her forward. Her legs wrapped around my waist and she squeezed me gently.

I grinded against her gently, the definition of my cock giving her the right amount of friction. After a few thrusts I felt moisture between her legs seep through her panties and soak my boxers.

It was hot.

I knew she wanted me and I wanted her, but I was content doing this. I could kiss her forever, feel those soft lips until the end of time. Marie dragged her sharp nails down my back, cutting into me in a pleasurable way. Soft moans entered my mouth, and she writhed underneath me like she wanted more.

It was the hottest make out session I’ve ever had.

“I could do this forever.” I sucked her bottom lip before I kissed her again.

She ran her hands up my back, feeling the muscle underneath the skin. “That sounds nice.”

I kissed the area along her jaw then moved down to her neck, wanting to taste her everywhere. I’d already been between her legs and I wanted to revisit that magical place but I was fine where I was.

Marie’s fingers played with the hem of my boxers before she pulled them down slowly.

I grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. “I just want to kiss you.”

She tried to get free but couldn’t free herself from the restraints. “Why?”

“Because I love it.” I brushed my nose against her before I returned my mouth to hers. Our tongues danced together, teasing one another as we received mutual satisfaction. Our bodies were connected just as much as our minds were. Somehow, it was better than sex.

I released her wrists and allowed her to touch me again. She felt the details of my chest and stomach, feeling the hard grooves that separated the masses of muscle. Her fingers traced the area like she was trying to memorize it.

My hips grinded against her, my cock moving over her folds through her lacey panties. The moisture was soaked into my body and I could feel it on the skin of my dick.

Fuck.

Her hands went to my ass and she gripped it tightly as she kissed me harder, breathing fast into my mouth. She was moaning with me, not bothering to try and remain quiet.

I rubbed against her harder, loving the way she was turned on. I wanted to make her come like this, without me touching her.

Her fingers dug into the fabric. “Axel…”

I remembered the way she said that before, on a night similar to this one. I loved hearing it again, bringing my body to a new level of heat. I was an inferno about to burn everything around me.

I rubbed myself against her harder, dry humping her in a way I never did as a teenager. The fact it was so amateur somehow made it sexy. We were so hot for each other we didn’t need to have intercourse to get off.

She stopped kissing me and just breathed into my mouth, moaning loudly. “God, yes…” She clung to me tightly, spiraling out of control. Her nails almost drew blood because they were digging into me so deeply.

I didn’t think I could find a release like this, but seeing her eyes roll into the back of her head as she continued to moan for me hit my trigger. With my lips pressed to hers I came inside my boxers, unable to recall the last time I ever did that. I filled the fabric and moaned the entire way. When I was finished, I remained on top of her, out of breath and satisfied.

She dug her fingers into my hair and felt the sweat that formed on the back of my neck. “I feel like an eighth grader.”

I chuckled. “Me too. But I like it.”

“I like it too.” She kissed the corner of my mouth.

“Then I think we should keep going.” I sealed my mouth over hers and kissed her slowly, starting all over. I hadn’t kissed a woman like this since I could remember. There was nothing else I wanted to do than feel her mouth move with mine. It felt right.

It felt like we should have started this sooner.

***

Alexia walked into my cubicle wearing a dress that was way too short for the office. “Hey, Axel.”

I was reading through a portfolio when she stopped by. “Yo. What’s up?” I lowered the folder and looked at her, trying to get Marie out of my head. She’d been circling there all day. I couldn’t concentrate on anything.

“You doing anything later?”

I looked up at the question. Alexia and I had hooked up a few times in the past. Then she got a boyfriend because I wouldn’t commit. From the sound of things they weren’t together anymore. “Why?”

“Wanted to see if you wanted to get a drink.” She had long brown hair, the kind that reached past her boobs.

“Didn’t work out with Tom?”

“No…he wasn’t right for me.”

“What a shame.” I tossed the folder on the desk. “He seemed like a nice guy.”

“Spent way too much time with his mother.” She rolled her eyes.

“A mama’s boy, huh?” I was a bit of one when I was growing up.

“So, are you free?”

“Actually, no. And I have a feeling I won’t be free for a long time.”

She cocked her head slightly.

“You see, I have a girlfriend.” I grinned from ear-to-ear. “Her name is Marie. She’s got blonde hair, green eyes, and a body that would make you cry yourself to sleep.”

“Oh…good for you.” She didn’t bother hiding her disappointment. She clearly wanted a good lay without having to do any work.

“Thanks. She’s great. No, I take that back. She’s perfect.”

“I didn’t see you as the boyfriend type…” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’m not,” I admitted. “But this one is different. She’s cute and smart…she’s got the whole package.”

“And other women don’t?” she asked in offense.

“That’s not what I said.” But it’s pretty much what I meant. “This girl is special. I can’t really explain why.”

“Well, I’m happy for you.”

Bullshit
. “Thanks.”

“Give me a call if things go south.”

I didn’t like to think like that. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

***

Marie was working so I decided to stop by.

When I walked inside she was standing at the counter snacking on a chocolate chip cookie. No one was in line and she was slacking off. She wore a black apron that was tight around her waist, highlighting her hourglass figure.

I’d never seen anyone look so good eating a cookie.

I walked up to the register and rang the bell. “Can I get some service?”

She quickly shoved the cookie in her pocket then turned to the counter. “Shit, you scared me.”

“Don’t you eat in the back?”

“Well, I was bored and we’ve been dead all day.” She came to the register then stared at me, hardly able to contain her happiness at seeing me there. “Thought you would stop by?”

“I missed you.” I’d been thinking about her all day and I was going crazy without her.

“Yeah?” She leaned over the counter and lowered her voice. “I missed you too.”

“I missed you more.” When I woke up that morning I had to hightail it out of the house before Francesca woke up. I wish I could just wake up there on a Saturday and lay in bed with her all day.

“Doubtful. So, you want anything?”

“Can I get you to go?”

“Do these cheesy lines actually work?”

“You tell me.” I got her in the sack once, and I got her to be my girlfriend on top of that. If you ask me, I knew a thing or two.

“How about a black coffee?”

“Sounds perfect. I’m going to need it if I’m going to stay up all night.” I set the cash on the counter.

“All night?” She put the cash in the register and gave me change. “I don’t know. I need some sleep tonight. Didn’t get much last night.”

“Well, if we get rid of Francesca we can get right to it after work.”

“Tempting…”

“Or you could come to my place.”

She shook her head. “I don’t like leaving her alone.”

My sister was really cramping my style. She needed to get over this break up and move on. “I guess those therapy sessions aren’t working.”

“I’m not sure what would work.”

“Slapping her.” I wasn’t kidding at this point. She completely stopped living just because Hawke lived. I didn’t care how heartbroken she was. There was no real justification for that. I really liked Marie and I didn’t want to lose her, but if she walked out on me I’d still get up and go to work the next day.

“We just have to be a little more patient…”

I was starting to think she would never get better. Marie and I babysat her as much as possible but that wasn’t doing any good. “My patience is waning. I doubt I can put up with it much longer. If my mom were still around she’d get Frankie out of bed.”

“What about Yaya? Do you think she can help?”

“I don’t want to bring her into this. It’s a burden no one should have to deal with…” Including Marie and I. I took the coffee and tightened the lid on it. “Thanks for the Joe.”

“No problem.”

“My girlfriend serves the best cup of coffee in town.”

“She serves the best something else too.” She gave me a playful look before she left the counter and kept working.

I froze on the spot, thinking about the specifics of what she meant.

Play Date

Marie

I parked my new car in the driveway then killed the engine. It was a white Toyota Corolla and I got a great deal on it—thanks to Axel.

He parked his truck then came to my side. “She’s a beauty, ain’t she?”

“She is.”

He nudged me in the side. “I was talking about you.”

“Oh…” My mouth formed an unstoppable smile. Ever since Axel came into my bedroom and said all those pretty things everything had been different. We were playful with each other and happy. After the way he rejected me I didn’t think we would ever find our way to each other. But somehow, we had.

He put his arm around my waist and walked me to the front door. “Going off-roading?”

“In a little car?”

“You could tear up the beach if you really wanted to.”

“No. I need to keep that car in good shape if I’m going to sell it eventually.”

He got the door unlocked and we walked inside. “You’re no fun.”

“I’m responsible.”

“Like I said, you’re no fun.” He shut the door behind us and leaned in, his lips teasing mine.

I loved his kisses. They were so precise and delicious. He was never sloppy, always giving me embraces that made me lose my breath. He continued to torture me, brushing his lips past mine in a torturous way. Then he finally pressed his mouth to mine, a closed-mouth kiss.

My body shivered from the heat.

When he pulled away his action was full of reluctance, like he didn’t want to be anywhere else except pressed against my lips. “So…should we check on that worthless piece of shit?” With every passing day he was becoming more resentful of his sister.

Her behavior was extreme, but it was difficult for me to be mad. She was my best friend in the whole world. All I wanted was for her to get better. “She’ll come out when she’s ready.” I set my purse on the kitchen table and pulled out my school stuff.

“Hey, what are you doing Saturday night?” He sat in the chair beside me with a beer in his hand.

“Axel, it’s four in the afternoon.”

He twisted the cap off. “It’s never too early to start drinking. Now answer the question.”

“I think I’m spending the evening with my new boyfriend.”

“Yeah?” The playfulness entered his gaze. “He’s cute, huh?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Really sexy?”

“I’d say so.”

“You can’t keep your hands off him?”

My hand moved to his thigh. “I struggle.”

He nodded, liking the course of this conversation.

“You have something in mind?”

“My office is having a going-away party for one of the partners. I want you to be my date.”

My body deflated. “That’s romantic…”

“I’ll feel you up in the bathroom or something.”

“Now that’s too romantic.” I rolled my eyes.

“You don’t have to go but I’m pretty much stuck.”

I didn’t want to spend the evening with a bunch of suits but I wanted to be with Axel. The party wouldn’t last forever and then we could have our own fun. “I’ll go.”

“You’ll be my date?”

“Yep.”

“Be warned. I’m gonna squeeze your ass at some point during the night.”

“Be warned. Your jaw is going to be busted at some point during the night.”

He chuckled, amused by my feistiness. “It’ll be worth it.” He set his beer down and leaned into me, his hand slowly snaking into my hair. His touches were always gentle but ignited so much heat. His thumb traced the skin around my ear and then he leaned into me, his lips coming right for mine.

I’d imagined his kiss a million times when I was growing up. I always wanted to be one of the girls he fancied, the ones he kissed in his car in the parking lot by the gymnasium. Now I was.

He pressed his mouth to mine and consumed me, taking me to a place that bordered dreams and reality. I’d been kissed by many men but none of them made me feel like this. Axel had a special touch, something about him that drove me wild.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Axel quickly pulled away and grabbed his beer like nothing just happened. He looked out the window. “Yeah, and then she was like, ‘I love you. You’re the one.’ Then I was like, ‘Uh, woman. We just met.’ It was an ordeal.” He took a long drink to cover up his nervousness.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

Francesca walked into the kitchen and pretty much ignored us. She opened the fridge and grabbed a piece of cheese. Her clothes were several sizes too big for her, and it didn’t look good. Any fat she had disappeared, but so did her muscle.

“Hey,” I said. “How’s your day?”

“It’s okay.” She picked at the slice of cheese, like she didn’t want to eat it and had to force herself.

How could she continue like this? It’d been months. “I got a new car. Want to see it?”

“I saw it through the window.” She walked out of the kitchen without saying another word. Her bedroom door shut a moment later.

Axel was seething in silence, his anger palpable in every corner of the room.

I placed my arm on his bicep, silently calming him. He didn’t handle his frustration as well as I did. His first impulse was to come out swinging, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“I don’t know how much longer I can be patient…”

“Hold on a little longer.”

He stared at the window and clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

***

Axel whistled when I opened the door. “Da-yum.”

My cheeks tinted even though I tried to fight it. I appreciated the compliments but I didn’t want him to know I lived for them. “Thanks.” I tucked my clutch under my arm and stepped out.

“Whoa, hold on.” He raised both hands. “I want to see the whole thing. Turn.”

“What is this? A fashion show?”

“A private one.”

I slowly turned around, letting him see me at different angles. When I got to my back he took in a deep breath.

“Marie, you have one sexy back.”

I was wearing a backless dress that was open until the top of my ass. It revealed everything, my spine and my shoulder blades. When I put it on I hoped I would get this reaction from him.

“Alright. Let’s go back inside.” He reached for the door handle. “I need to get that dress off pronto.”

I laughed and pushed him back. “We’ll be late.”

“Who cares? It’s a stupid work party.” He pressed me against the door and lowered his voice. “I’d rather eat you out than have whatever crap they’re serving.”

The heat flushed through my body again, burning me like I was on fire. My thighs automatically pressed together, and I suspected I’d have to change my panties before the night was over.

“Lets go back inside.” He reached for the door handle again.

“How about we go to your apartment instead?”

His eyes narrowed, intrigued.

“After the party.”

His eyes fell all over again. “I’d rather get fired at this point.”

“Come on, the wait will make it worth it.” I took his hand and pulled him to his truck.

He growled from behind me, clearly staring at my back. When we got to the truck he opened the door for me but gave me a terrifying look at the same time. He squeezed my wrist like he couldn’t control himself. “You. Drive. Me. Mad.” He released me before he walked around the truck.

His words echoed in my mind long after he said them. I felt the heat reach every point on my body, burning slowly. At some point during the night the heat would smolder into an unstoppable explosion, burning everyone and everything.

***

The dinner was in a conference room at a hotel. The second we walked inside I was surprised so many people attended. I didn’t realize so many people worked at Axel’s company. In my mind, I pictured twenty people in a tiny office space.

Axel had his arm tightly wrapped around me, pulling me into his side with no intention of ever letting me go. “Lifestyles of the rich and the famous, huh?”

“Yeah…” It was nice but not enough to make me envious.

He pulled me to the door and got me a glass of wine.

“So, what do I need to know for this party?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” He wasn’t going to give me a heads up at all?

“All you need to do is stand there and make eyes at me. That’s why I brought you.”

“As a trophy?”

“Not really. You can’t feel up a trophy in the bathroom.”

“Okay…now I don’t think you’re kidding.” I wasn’t letting anyone feel me up in the bathroom at some work party. Maybe one day, but not today.

“Maybe I’m not.” He leaned in and gave me a smile.

“You aren’t feeling up anything but yourself tonight.”

He shrugged. “I’ve done it before. It’s not bad.”

I slapped his arm playfully.

He chuckled and brought me in closer to his side. “Honestly, most of the people I work with are pretty boring. Just be yourself and everything will be fine.” His hand rested on the small of my back and he dug his fingers into me slightly. He pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth, making me rethink a make out session in the bathroom.

Axel took my hand and introduced me to a few of his colleagues, including the senior partner of the company. Like Axel warned, they were pretty stiff and boring. Even with the glasses of wine in their hands they were uptight. Axel couldn’t be more different from them.

At least it was an open bar.

“Hey, Axel.” A brunette woman walked up to him but her eyes were on me, sizing me up.

“Hey, Alexia. Having a good time?”

“I’d have a better time if I were getting paid to be here.” She kept glancing at me.

I would have to be an idiot not to notice her beauty. She had a petite frame but womanly curves. Her make up was excessive but it looked good on her. She seemed to have it all, the looks and the body.

I tried not to be jealous.

“Are you going to introduce me?” Alexia crossed her arms over her chest.

“Oh, sorry.” He turned to me. “Alexia, this is Marie.”

That’s it? Just Marie?

She shook my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.”
Not really.

“Well, I’ll see you around.” She flipped her hair over one shoulder and walked away.

I knew I shouldn’t blow up at Axel but I was pissed he didn’t introduce me properly. Did he not want attractive women to know he was taken? Was he being a jerk right under my nose?

Axel turned to me, clueless to my anger. “She works in the cubicle across from mine.”

“Yeah?” I couldn’t keep the anger out of my tone.

“She and I had a fling awhile back. We even stayed at the office late and did it on my boss’s desk.” He chuckled like he thought it was hilarious. “We never got caught.”

Why the hell was he telling me this?

He finished his glass then eyed mine. “You want another?”

I wanted to shatter the glass over his skull. I knew it wasn’t the best idea to make a scene but I was beyond pissed. Just earlier today everything seemed great between us, but now he was showing his true colors. “No. And I never want another one.” I pushed past him and immediately headed for the exit. I tried not to walk too fast but I was practically running. Was I stupid for ever thinking Axel could really be the man I wanted?

“Whoa, hold on.” He grabbed me by the arm just when I left the conference room. “What just happened?”

I twisted out of his grasp. “You’re an asshole. That’s what happened.”

The same blank look was on his face. “Marie, what did I do?”

He was really that clueless? “Forget about me and go feel up Alexia in the bathroom. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.” I stormed off again, determined to never look at him again.

“Marie, wait.” He caught up to me again and intersected his body in my path. “Does this have to do with Alexia?”

He was so goddamn stupid. “I thought when we agreed to be together you were going to get your shit together. I thought you would treat me right, not run around behind my back. You’re an asshole.” I pushed him back and moved around him.

This time he grabbed me by both shoulders and shoved me into the wall, keeping me stuck there like glue. “Marie, I’m honestly clueless to what’s going on right now. But I know I haven’t done anything behind your back so speak in terms I can understand.”

“You introduced me as Marie, like I was your friend or something.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes. You. Did.” I was standing right there.

“I did?” he asked in confusion.

“Yes.” I wanted to punch him in the face.

“Well, she already knows who you are. It would be redundant to call you my girlfriend twice.”

“She already knows who I am?”
Like I would believe that.